RECOMMENDED: BIT.TRIP / WE SING POP Bit.Trip Complete/Saga
Rising Star delivers two compilations to retail – one for Wii and one for 3DS. Dominic Sacco looks at the titles’ strong retro appeal
RETRO gaming is definitely ‘in’ at the moment.
There are plenty of older games making comebacks on Xbox Live and PSN, ‘chiptune’ retro game music is on the rise and there are more portable retro consoles on the market. So it’s not surprising to see
Bit.Trip– a series of retro-inspired rhythm-based titles – making its way to retail in the form of Wii and 3DS SKUs. Each release contains six separate classic Bit.Tripgames spanning different genres: Beat, Core, Void, Runner, Fate and Flux. Players control CommanderVideo as he journeys across a host of galaxies.
The £19.99 Wii version, Bit.Trip Complete, even contains 120 extra challenges, a CD sampler, new difficulty modes and unlockable extras. The £29.99 3DS version, Bit.Trip Saga, of course boasts the six games in full glasses-free 3D. Publisher Rising Star Games says both present a perfect proposition for gamers. “Bit.Tripis perfect for the core Nintendo audience,” Rising Star’s product marketing manager Yen
We Sing Pop [INFO]
Released: March 23rd
Formats: Wii
Publisher: Nordic Games
Developer: Le Cortex
Distributor: Open
Contact: 01256 391209
LADY GAGA. Rihanna. Adele. These are just three of the big name artists in We Sing Pop– the latest sing-along title from Nordic Games. With musicians like Adele smashing records and making waves in the charts, pop music is back in business. And considering the We Singfranchise has sold over 1m units in PAL territories to date, the marriage of pop music and video games is a harmonious one.
Singkaraoke series to feature 30 sensational pop hits from the world’s leading pop stars,” says Nordic’s sales and marketing director Nik Blower. “We Singis also the most popular range of singing games on Wii.” We Sing Popcontains six decades of original hits, including Outkast’s ‘Hey Ya’, Bruno Mars’ ‘Just the Way You Are’, Coldplay’s ‘Clocks’, Hanson’s ‘MmmBop’, Lady
Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’ and more. And of course, a pop music game wouldn’t be complete without Peter Andre’s ‘Mysterious Girl’. It’s pop cheese at its finest and ideal for a fun karaoke night in with friends. The game features eight multiplayer party modes, Blind and Expert modes, as well as the original artists and music videos. Nordic is promoting We Sing Pop with a social media campaign running
across Facebook and YouTube, as well as a competition on its website. A nationwide radio promotion with The Hits will reach 1m people aged between 15 and 34 years old. A three-month PR campaign will target specialist and lifestyle media, as will a press preview event at Scala in London. There will be marketing with record labels and POS We Sing mic stands, to help make We Sing Popa smash with chart music fans.
March 16th 2012 45
Hau tells MCV. “The rhythm-based gameplay is perfectly suited for the ‘Nintendo family’ – everyone can enjoy it together.” Rising Star will promote the releases with activity at retail, as
[INFO]
Released: Out today (Friday, March 16th)
Formats: Wii, 3DS
Publisher: Rising Star Games
Developer: Gaijin Games
Distributor: Mastertronic
Contact: 0845 234 4242
well as a targeted online advertising campaign during the Easter period. Nintendo has already put the games in front of consumers during its Half-Term Heroes event at Westfield Stratford.
The million-selling Wii karaoke franchise returns with an explosion of pop hits perfect for music lovers, explains Dominic Sacco